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If you’ve watched ghost hunting shows on TV, you’ve seen many ghost hunters using high-tech (and expensive) ghost hunting tools.
Some use infrared cameras. Others lean into hyper-sensitive EMF-based detectors. A few carry specialized voice recorders.
That list could go on & on. Sometimes those investigators actually use those same tools during their real-life research.
At other times, I’ve wondered if viewers are seeing product placement.
(Per the Cambridge Dictionary, product placement means: “a way of advertising a product by supplying it for use in movies or television programs.” Keep that in mind when you’re watching reality – aka “unscripted” – TV shows.)
In TV shows, that abundance of ghost hunting tools can be deceptive.
Worse, some new ghost hunters may worry that they won’t have a “real” ghostly encounter if they don’t have similar tools.
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They’re afraid they’ll look like amateurs.
They won’t.
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Or they think those tools are what all serious ghost hunter use.
They don’t.
What really matters in ghost hunting
What YOU experience – how you feel, what your “sixth sense” tells you, plus what you see, hear, and smell – that’s what REALLY matters.
You don’t need any ghost hunting equipment at all.
But, being a realist, I know that many new ghost hunters are eager to try ghost hunting equipment. They want to see if the TV shows really represent ghost hunting
But here’s a secret…
In some of the MOST haunted places, most (or maybe all) electrical devices – including phones and ghost hunting equipment – stop working altogether.
Really. Everything seems fine, and suddenly your flashlight goes off and won’t turn on again. Or your phone quits working, or seems to go mad. Or that EMF device starts pinging, and a voice comes out of that pricey EVP device you bought.
It’s easy to panic.
Please remain calm. This IS “normal” in paranormal settings.
And here’s what to do when that happens…
Ghost hunting equipment is – at best – supporting evidence. In itself, it proves nothing.
Almost every serious, long-time ghost hunter will agree:
- The research is most important.
- Any tools are merely helpful, at best.
We need fresh opinions.
Please, go to haunted places and tell others — especially fellow ghost hunters — what you find there.
We’re interested in your impressions. Tell us what (or who) you think may be haunting that site, and perhaps why they’re still there.
We need different ways of looking at what we’re encountering at haunted sites.
In a recent survey, nearly 50% of Americans said they believe in ghosts. The figures are similar in the U.K.
So, you’re not alone if you think ghosts might be real, and your research — and opinions — matter.
No expensive ghost hunting tools are necessary. In fact, if all you have is an EMF spike, or a garbled noise on a voice recorder that might sound like words… few serious paranormal investigators will take you seriously.
If you really want to use ghost hunting tools, perhaps to confirm that something odd is going on at a haunted site, I’ve written about this topic several times. For example, How Much Should I Budget for Ghost Hunting Equipment?